


Wooing You

by BrieCheddar



Category: Love Live! School Idol Festival ALL STARS (Video Game), ラブライブ! 虹ヶ咲学園スクールアイドル同好会 | Love Live! Nijigasaki Gakuen School Idol Doukoukai (Anime)
Genre: Crushes, Duet, F/F, Makeup, Pre-Relationship, Unrequited YuKasu
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-18 12:02:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29243286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrieCheddar/pseuds/BrieCheddar
Summary: Karin sees Kasumi chase after her crush, Yu, and thinks that it's a waste of time. In fact, romance itself is a waste of time for Karin, who is busy with her schoolwork, her modeling, and her idol practice.Kasumi, on the other hand, wants to do anything she can to get closer with Yu. Nothing so far has produced any meaningful results, but there's something that will. Kasumi is sure of it.What will happen when these two opposites, in their images and in their views on love, are forced to work together to create a duet?
Relationships: Asaka Karin/Nakasu Kasumi
Comments: 6
Kudos: 26





	1. Romance Makes Things Messy

“Look at her,” Karin thought as she stared across the rooftop at her junior. Kasumi was once again putting on her frustrated face. Karin had grown to recognize it by Kasumi’s upturned eyebrows and pouty lips. She had seen it plenty of times during the months they had spent together in the same club.

Who was that pout directed at? None other than the School Idol Club’s manager, Yu.

Karin wondered if Yu even noticed, though, as she was occupied with giving Ayumu some pointers on the routine. Yu spent a lot of time watching them practice, so she was able to tell what went wrong while they were dancing. Karin also noticed some of her tiny slip-ups while she was dancing. Maybe she could give Ayumu some tips later if she still didn’t understand, Karin thought.

While watching them, Kasumi turned her pouty gaze into a glare.

“Look at her,” Kasumi said before waving in Yu’s direction. “There are other people here too, Yu-senpai!” Yu didn’t turn at Kasumi’s shout. Instead she used her hands to direct Ayumu’s arm and hips. Kasumi’s glare intensified.

“She must not have heard,” Shizuku said right next to Kasumi. 

“Yeah because she’s always focused on Ayumu-senpai. I mean, they already live next to each other. It’s so unfair.”

“Well, Ayumu-san does still slip up in some places.” Karin heard that and guessed that it wouldn’t do much to help Kasumi’s mood. She was right. 

“I’m making mistakes, too! Like in our part during the bridge, I feel like I’m not doing it right.” Karin headed in their direction after hearing that. She was decent at dancing. Maybe she could help.

As Karin drew closer, Kasumi raised her hand to her chin. Then, as if she had an epiphany, she pointed to the sky and her eyes lit up.

“Oh! Maybe I could trip, and she’d help me up… or something.”

_A mask of incompetency, huh?_

Karin had that thought, then shook her head. It wasn’t time to be thinking about anything like that. She had pointers to give.

“That sounds like a bit much.” Shizuku said with a deadpan expression. Kasumi twisted her body around to face Shizuku.

“Well, how else am I supposed to get her attention?”

“I’ll show you.” Shizuku called for Yu over and over again until she looked over. “We need some help over here, too.” Yu gave her a thumbs up before continuing to help Ayumu. “See, she’ll look over if you keep calling.”

“Well, I don’t want to seem _too_ desperate,” Kasumi said. Then Yu moved her hands down to Ayumu’s hips, and Kasumi’s expression grew even darker. Karin saw all of that and let out a chuckle, and Kasumi spun around to glare at her. “What?”

Karin saw Kasumi staring up at her in anger and annoyance. Because of Kasumi’s cuteness, Karin compared her to a small puppy growling about not getting its toy. She stifled another chuckle and cleared her throat.

“You know, if you need help you can ask me, too,” Karin said.

“If I wanted _your_ help, I’d _ask_ , Karin-senpai.”

“Oh, so is Yu better at dancing than I am?” Hearing that, Kasumi turned her head back to look at Yu.

“... That’s not the point.”

Oh, Karin already knew that. She had identified Kasumi’s feelings for Yu a few weeks after joining the School Idol Club. This was a textbook (or magazine, because that’s where Karin got her information) example of a crush. Kasumi was always seeking Yu’s attention, and Yu was oblivious to Kasumi’s feelings. At least as far as Karin knew.

Karin, on the other hand, never had a crush before. Sure, she had received confessions and love letters, but she was never the one giving them. She also never accepted any, most of the time not even bothering to respond to letters. After all, in between schoolwork, modeling, and now this idol gig, Karin didn’t have time to find some random, hidden corner of the school just to reject someone. 

If she didn’t have enough time for that, how could she possibly have time for romance?

Besides, romance made things messy. It not only affected your private life, but also your work. Have you seen the romance-related scandals in the tabloids? Karin saw them all the time.

Not to mention that idols were tacitly forbidden from being in romantic relationships.

Even now, Kasumi could be dancing instead of wasting her time staring.

After having those thoughts, Karin let out a sigh and placed her hands on her hips.

“Well, while she’s _busy_ , what do you need help on?” Karin asked.

“Ugh, fine. The first year part during the bridge.” Kasumi posed in her starting position. “Count me in.”

Karin clapped as she counted from five to eight, then watched as Kasumi danced. She wasn’t half bad, Karin thought, as she noticed only a single mistake. She shook her head as she remembered that Kasumi was thinking of falling over.

“What? Was it that bad?” Kasumi asked as she finished and saw Karin’s head turning back and forth.

“No, it was pretty good. You just rushed the twirl.” Karin got into position and showed Kasumi exactly how it was done. After she finished, Karin could immediately tell why Kasumi struggled with it. “I know it’s tempting to end before the downbeat to take a breath for singing, but try to breathe during the twirl.”

After trying again, Kasumi nailed that section and hit the next note, causing a few of the club members to look over and give some small applause. Kasumi closed her eyes and tilted her head upwards and grinned in victory.

“That was better,” Karin said before thinking of more advice. “Your arm movements could be a bit sharper, but one step at a time.” 

Kasumi looked back at her, removing her gloating face and donning her thankful one. Karin hadn’t seen that face often, but she still recognized it.

“Ahem. You’re surprisingly good at this, Karin-senpai,” Kasumi said.

“What do you mean, ‘surprisingly?’ Dancing is my specialty.”

“I mean the whole teaching thing. I never ask for _your_ help. So, you know… thanks.” At those words Karin’s lips curved into a small, almost unnoticeable smile. Then, as she thought about the whole situation again, that smile disappeared.

Being able to help any of her juniors gave Karin great joy, but there was a thought that lingered in the back of her mind.

The second that Kasumi’s mind drifted away from romance, and she started to focus, she was able to improve.

It was only more confirmation that Karin was right.

“You’re welcome,” Karin said. “If you ever need any advice, just let me know.”

Kasumi opened her mouth to respond, but she was interrupted by another voice.

“Alright, Shizuku-chan, what’s up?” Yu asked as she started to walk over. Kasumi looked over in an instant.

“Kasumi-san needs to ask you some questions,” Shizuku said.

And just like that, Kasumi left Karin’s side, without saying another word.

Kasumi asked Yu about her arm movements during the part she practiced with Karin. As they spoke, Kasumi’s smile seemed to reach her eyes. Yu clarified exactly which part Kasumi was talking about, then gave her the same treatment as she did to Ayumu, with her hands guiding Kasumi’s movements as they went through the section at a slow pace. 

Karin could see the blush on Kasumi’s face. Yu was probably too focused on directing Kasumi to notice.

Karin turned away and walked over to her bag. She took a long drink from her water bottle then looked back at Kasumi and Yu. They finished, and Kasumi hugged Yu and asked for a head pat. As usual, Yu obliged before Kasumi would let go of her. 

Then Yu walked away and went to help Ai with her dancing. Kasumi watched almost the entire time.

_Yeah, romance makes things messy._

That thought wouldn’t leave Karin’s head even after practice ended.

* * *

Later that day, Kasumi and Shizuku were eating together before Shizuku had to go home. Shizuku lived far from Odaiba, so she often didn’t have time to eat when she got home. Kasumi was glad to hang out with her almost everyday, though.

Shizuku was Kasumi’s best friend, and thus, her confidant.

The diner they frequented when they were alone was a smaller one with cream-colored walls, red-colored cushions, and a floor of alternating white and black tiles. It was never too busy, and the food was cheap and delicious, so they kept coming back. Kasumi once commented that if the diner advertised itself, it would have a line of customers waiting outside the entrance. However, the old couple running the diner seemed content with what they had.

The same could not be said about Kasumi.

No, Kasumi wanted something. And when she wanted something, she’d do all she could to achieve it.

The problem was, she didn’t know what she _could_ do in this situation.

Yu was the first crush she ever had. Kasumi had tried everything she could think of to get her attention. Acting cutesy, offering her the best bread she could make, giving her an absurd amount of physical affection. Yet nothing seemed to work.

She wondered if Yu could tell. If she couldn’t, then Kasumi imagined she’d be the picture in the dictionary right next to the definition of dense.

Thinking of all this, she let out a long sigh.

“What should I do?” Kasumi asked before shoving another couple of fries into her mouth.

“Maybe stop getting fries every time we come here?” Shizuku offered as she took another bite of her salad. Kasumi stared at the mixture of leafy greens and tomatoes and chicken before looking back at her fries.

“Why? Their fries are so good.” The fries seemed to glisten in response to Kasumi’s compliment. Before they were eaten, anyway.

“Yes, but they aren’t healthy.”

“Whatever, I have a high metabolism.” Kasumi put her hands on her hips, showing off her thin waistline.

“Don’t blame me when you’re this fat,” Shizuku said before lifting her arms above an imaginary body that was three times her size. She filled her cheeks with air and rotated her body back and forth to imitate walking. Kasumi snorted at the sight.

“Yeah, as if all this dance practice won’t keep me in shape.” Even outside of club practice, Kasumi would still perform in front of her mirror at home. Thinking of dancing, she remembered her original question. “Wait, I’m not talking about the food. I mean-”

“I know, I know. Yu-senpai, right?” Shizuku asked.

“Yeah… What do I need to do to get her attention?” They had often spent time brainstorming tactics when it came to approaching Yu. Shizuku was interested in the pursuit of love, especially now when her next role was in a romantic play.

“What if, instead of messing up, you do really well on your dance? Then she can praise you. Maybe even give you a head pat.”

“Yeah…” Kasumi trailed off as she remembered the events that happened during practice. For some reason, Karin’s assistance popped out in Kasumi’s mind. “Karin-senpai could help me with that… maybe.”

“She’d probably be a pretty good teacher. She pays attention to the smaller details, you know?” 

“Yeah, maybe even too much attention.” Kasumi looked up from the fries she finished and saw Shizuku staring at her with a blank expression. “What is it, Shizuko?”

“Ah, I just imagined something.” Kasumi tilted her head in response, so Shizuku continued, “You know how Karin-san has that whole sexy, mature aura?”

“Ugh, don’t remind me. What about it, though?”

“I was watching this drama about school romances the other day, and there was one teacher who would act sexy in front of her favorite student.” Shizuku did just call Karin a good teacher, so Kasumi saw where she was going.

“And you imagined Karin-senpai like that?” 

“Yeah, I thought of her saying a line in the show. It went...”

After she trailed off, Shizuku brought her hand in front of her face, as if she was putting a physical mask on her face. Then she moved her hand downwards, and extended her index finger so it was near her lips. She leaned forward and stared at Kasumi.

“Oh, Kasumi-chan, you’re here for extra lessons? Well, I’d be glad to teach you for as long as you’d like,” Shizuku said in her best attempt at an alluring voice. Near the end she paused in between each word for emphasis.

For a moment, Kasumi imagined Karin’s sultry voice that sent shivers down her spine the first time she’d heard it, and Karin’s ridiculously proportioned figure leaning over a desk, and Karin’s gorgeous face wearing the same seductive expression. And Kasumi was the student, sitting in that seat, hearing those words, and feeling flustered out of her mind.

She shook her head to erase that unpleasant image.

“Uwah, that’s… kinda lewd,” Kasumi said, backing up in her seat.

“How was my impression, though?” Shizuku asked. “Was it sexy?” Kasumi compared the image of Shizuku to the image of Karin she conjured up in her head.

“It was okay, but… I wouldn’t say _you_ were sexy.”

“Hmm… I’ll have to practice more then.” Shizuku brought her hand to her chin and pondered for a bit.

“Karin-senpai might have advice for you in the sexy department.”

“I’ll ask her for help then. She can teach me all her techniques in case I need to use them for a performance.” Kasumi started nodding to respond but stopped as soon as she saw Shizuku’s grin.

“W-Wait, Karin-senpai is supposed to be my teacher!” Shizuku started laughing as she saw Kasumi pout at her.

“I’m joking, I’m joking.” Kasumi shook her head but saw Shizuku grinning once again. “But I didn’t know you wanted Karin-san to talk to you like that.”

Again that image of Karin flashed in Kasumi’s mind. Flustered, she sent an angry pout Shizuku’s way. It was not very effective. Kasumi could tell from the sound of Shizuku giggling.

Kasumi hated how sexy Karin would seem at times. Seriously, if it was anyone else, Kasumi would feel ten times better about it.

For example, what if Yu was the sexy teacher instead? The very thought of Yu saying those things to her almost made Kasumi drool.

_Yeah, forget Karin-senpai. She’s definitely not as amazing as Yu-senpai, and that’s a fact._

After all, Yu came into Kasumi’s life and saved the entire club. She helped bring back all the old members. Of course she would fall in love with the School Idol Club’s savior. 

No, it was more than that.

Yu was Kasumi’s savior.

Kasumi realized those thoughts were a bit too heavy to talk about over a casual dinner, so she kept them to herself.

After Shizuku finished her salad, the two of them got their bill and paid it. They waved at the owners as they walked out. They were pretty much regulars at this point, so they liked to show their appreciation each time they came. 

They started walking to the station, where Kasumi would see Shizuku off before heading home.

“Ah, I’m excited just thinking of all the head pats I could get once I nail the routine,” Kasumi said while stretching her arms towards the sky.

“You know, if you ever want someone to pat your head, you can just ask me,” Shizuku responded. “You don’t even have to do anything special.”

“Eh, but it’s different.”

“How so?” Kasumi thought of a good way to explain it. In the end, she didn’t use complex words, instead opting for simplicity.

“Well, Shizuko is Shizuko, and Yu-senpai is Yu-senpai.” Kasumi looked towards the deep orange sky. “Of course I don’t have to do anything special to get a head pat from you. You’re Shizuko.”

Those words would sound nonsensical to anyone else, but Shizuku understood and smiled. Kasumi glanced over and saw that and grinned back.

“Just don’t steal Yu-senpai’s chances anymore,” Kasumi said.

“No promises,” Shizuku said back. Kasumi responded with playful annoyance, and Shizuku simply laughed.

They continued on in the same fashion, chatting about Kasumi’s plans and other random topics, as they approached the station.

* * *

Later that night, Karin was getting out of the bath after a modeling session at her agency. She dried her short hair and dressed in some loose fitting dark blue pajamas. The makeup plastered on her face during the session was completely washed off.

Karin stared at the mirror. She looked for any new blemishes she’d need to cover up when she went out. That tiny mole had always been there, that small scar was there since she was a kid, and the wrinkles around the corners of her eyes hadn’t gotten any worse. No change at all, she noted before looking away from her reflection.

She left the bathroom and walked towards her room. The dorms were quiet around this time, as students were busy studying. Karin entered her room, then walked over to her blinds and opened them. Karin could see the lights of Odaiba beyond the confines of the dorms. She cracked open the window.

Something about the nighttime air blowing through her hair reminded Karin of a simpler time. A time without all the work, and makeup, and masks. Maybe it was the sight of the brilliant lights in the distance. Or maybe it was the feeling of the cool breeze on her bare face. Karin didn’t know what caused her thoughts to drift towards her past. She shut her eyes and smiled before closing the window.

And when she turned around she was back in the present.

Karin’s room was far from tidy. Magazines and schoolbooks littered the floor and her desk. She was on some of the pages of the open magazines, posing for the camera. The rest of them were either related to school idols, fashion, or makeup. Karin picked up new volumes every week, which made it harder to keep everything organized.

Before she could start cleaning, Karin heard a knock at her door. She walked over and heard a familiar voice.

“Karin-chan?”

“Come in, Emma,” she said as she opened the door.

Emma visiting was an almost nightly activity between the two girls. After cleaning up Karin’s room, most of their time together was spent in comfortable silence. That night, Emma grabbed the newest issue of a magazine about models after she picked it up from the floor. She sprawled out on Karin’s bed and started reading as Karin worked on the homework due the next day.

As soon as she finished, Karin plopped down on the bed next to Emma and looked at what she was reading. It was an article about the Shinonome School Idols. Emma pointed out Kanata’s sister out of the group and giggled.

“They’re really different, huh?” Emma asked.

“Haruka and Kanata? Yep.” Kanata was sleepy most of the time they had seen her. Haruka seemed so energetic in comparison. It even showed in her dancing, Karin noted. “I wonder if they ever practice together anymore.”

“Probably. Haruka-chan might even be the one helping Kanata-chan.” Emma let out another laugh before rolling over to face Karin.

Despite their close proximity and eye contact, Karin didn’t feel embarrassed. She felt comfortable lying there with her best friend. So comfortable that she rolled over so that their bodies were facing each other.

“What is it?” Karin asked to break the silence.

“You were pretty cool helping out Kasumi-chan today.” Though, when Emma said stuff like that, of course Karin would feel embarrassed.

“J-Jeez, what’s with you?” She tried to force herself to be composed despite the heat she felt on her cheeks. Emma closed her eyes and smiled in response. 

“Just being honest.” Emma usually was, and Karin really appreciated that, because there were times when she wasn’t able to tell the truth.

Their small exchange reminded Karin about Kasumi. The girl who would put on a mask of ineptitude to garner attention from her crush. Well, that’s how Karin saw it. After all, she was an expert in wearing masks.

She had her professional mask she wore at her work, her sexy mask she wore as an idol, and her cool, mature mask that she wore in her daily life.

Karin figured the only time when she wasn’t wearing one was with Emma. Something about her made Karin let down her guard. Maybe it was because of those words Emma said in the past.

“You can be whoever you want to be, as long as you’re smiling.”

Those were pretty words at that time to Karin, and she was sure Emma had the best intentions saying them. But as she thought about them again, she started questioning them.

Was it really alright to spend your entire life hiding behind different masks as long as you were happy? What about “being yourself?” Those were the words she had read in the small dating advice sections in various magazines. Sure, that phrase was always related to romance in the magazines, but couldn’t it apply to real life?

_No, probably not. When you become older, you have to wear masks wherever you go. People can pick you apart if you don’t._

She started thinking if any modeling job in the world would want the “real” Karin Asaka. She concluded that they wouldn’t. What about her idol fans? She wasn’t actually sexy, like her fanbase seemed to think. What about the people who confessed to her? They probably fell in love with the “cool beauty” Karin, not actually herself.

Karin didn’t deserve all their love and praise. No, behind all those masks was a teenage girl full of self-doubt and fear.

“Karin-chan?” Realizing there had been a long silence hanging in the air before Emma opened her mouth, Karin responded.

“What is it, Emma?” Emma stared at her with upturned eyebrows and examined Karin’s face.

“What were you thinking about?”

“About Kasumi-chan’s routine,” Karin lied. “I was wondering if there was anything I missed.”

She thought back at Kasumi’s dancing in order not to get caught, but couldn’t find anything notable except for what she had told Kasumi about earlier.

Her mind kept drifting, but instead of the dance routine, she focused on Kasumi’s crush on Yu. If those dating magazines were telling the truth, then Kasumi should just “be herself,” right? She was cute enough to garner attention. So why wasn’t that working? Would it just end in rejection if she confessed, or was there a way to change things?

Karin struggled to find any answers to those questions. She threw them aside and decided to focus on Emma who was still staring at her with concerned eyes.

“As long as you’re alright, Karin-chan,” Emma said. Karin put on her biggest smile and nodded to appease her. Seeing that, Emma turned back to the magazine.

_Ah, maybe this is a mask after all._

Karin convinced herself that she was wrong before responding.

“Yeah. Thanks, Emma.” Karin watched Emma flip through the pages and waited for her to light up with excitement again before looking at the pages.

Karin was glad that she had Emma there to pull her back in before she started spiraling out of control in her head. In fact, she was grateful for a lot of things. Her fans, and her work, and her friends, all included. That’s why she needed to forget all the unimportant things and focus on being the best idol and model she could be.

Those were concrete goals that she could make meaningful progress towards.

Unlike that vague, intangible thing called “love.”

* * *

Kasumi felt a little disheartened after their practice the next day.

She had practiced that specific section she was having trouble with for a couple of hours in front of her mirror. She figured it all out by the end and was ready to show off her skills to Yu.

And she nailed it. She was on beat the whole time. The advice she received the day before helped a lot.

Then, as Yu was passing by her to compliment her performance, Kasumi stuck her head out for a pat. But Yu kept going without extending her hand and giving Kasumi her reward. She again went to Ayumu, who improved a lot more considering her dancing yesterday.

Shizuku gave Kasumi a consolation head pat after seeing her expression. 

“You’ll get her next time, Kasumi-san.” Without saying a word, Kasumi wrapped her arms around Shizuku and pulled her in. 

“Thanks, Shizuko,” Kasumi whispered into Shizuku’s shoulder. Shizuku let out a small, pity-filled sigh and kept rubbing Kasumi’s head. 

Karin watched that entire situation unfold but didn’t know what to think of it. Kasumi had just danced her best, but it wasn’t enough. Maybe the circumstances just didn’t allow for any sort of romance between her and Yu. Or did Kasumi need to try a new tactic? Karin tried to come up with answers to everything.

In the end, the only thing she found was more evidence that love wasn’t worth her time.

She thought of walking over and encouraging Kasumi on her dancing, but wasn’t sure if it fit the mood. Kasumi might bite back with harsh words or feel even more down on herself.

So Karin simply watched from afar.

Then, Yu signaled for everyone to gather around her.

“There’s this new concert coming out, so we’re going to have another chance to show the world how great the Nijigasaki School Idol Club is!” The air around the rooftop was filled with excited and intrigued sounds. “But, there’s a twist.”

“What is it, Yu-chan?” Emma asked.

“We have to audition to get a slot during the concert.”

“That’s no problem,” Kasumi said with a wide grin. Then she saw Yu shake her head. “What? Is there something else?”

“There’s a twist. All of the songs have to be,” Yu said before trailing off for effect. Then she continued, “Duets!”

“Eeeeh?” Everyone except for Kanata made that noise.

Duets were wonderful for showing off a pair’s chemistry and individual skills. Thinking of the idol duets they liked, Karin drifted towards “Storm in Lover,” while Kasumi thought of “Blueberry Train.”

“W-Wait, there’s nine of us, though,” Karin said before putting her hand to her chin and thinking of how to solve that issue. Then, Kanata walked over and laid her head on Karin’s shoulder.

“Haruka-chan and I wanted to audition as a duo, so I can sit out.” Yu nodded to Kanata, as if they had already discussed this.

“Let’s have a little competition between the rest of the pairs. For who I think is the best duo, when it comes to chemistry, theme, and lyrics, I have... drumroll, please.” Ai slapped her thighs at a fast tempo as Yu took a deep breath in. “Two hot spring tickets!”

The whole group let out a collective “Oooooh!”

Karin could already imagine sitting in the hot water and giving her sore muscles some much needed relief. All the posing while modeling and dancing during practice had taken a toll on Karin. Not even her morning stretches alleviated all the soreness.

Kasumi on the other hand, started thinking of ways to convince her partner to let her bring Yu on the trip. And if that failed, it was fine, because the cutest idol in the world could use that relaxation time to up her cuteness levels.

“One last thing,” Yu said. “The duos will be chosen randomly. I don’t want to give anyone any unfair advantages. Plus, you’ll have the chance to get closer to someone you haven’t worked with before… hopefully.”

Some of the members murmured in excitement. On the other hand, both Kasumi and Karin held in their grumbling.

Yu called everyone over to draw numbers out of a small hat she borrowed from the fashion club.

Karin thought of the people she’d like to sing and dance with. Emma was the first to come to mind, as they would work well together because of their closeness. Ai was also a strong contender, since DiverDiva was already a proven duo. Maybe Setsuna, who would give her all no matter what they did. Plus, working with one of her strongest rivals would help Karin improve.

At the same time Kasumi was thinking of people who would make a cute song with her. Ayumu, Rina, and Ai were solid candidates. Other than them, Shizuku would be easy to work with, and Kasumi had fun hanging out with her already.

After everyone had grabbed a slip of paper, Yu told them all to open it. Karin did so and saw the number two. She saw Ai running around with three fingers held up in the air, so she raised her hand as well. Then she looked around at the groups that had formed already.

Ai was chatting to Rina, who responded in short sentences and put up a flustered Rina-chan Board after Ai hugged her from behind. Setsuna was looking fired up next to a nervously smiling Ayumu. She looked for Emma, and found her smiling next to Shizuku.

_Which meant…_

Karin looked over to the other side of the rooftop. Kasumi was standing there, looking around at the rest of the groups as well. Then her eyes landed on Karin.

Kasumi’s hopeful gaze became a deadpan stare in an instant.

_This is the worst._

They both had that thought, then started to walk towards their new partner.

For a while, Kasumi and Karin stood next to each other without speaking. Instead, they listened to all of the groups chatting about potential ideas for their duets. No one had come up with any concrete plans yet, but brainstorming was leagues better than doing nothing.

“Alright, let’s just make the best of this,” Karin said to break the silence between them. 

Instead of responding, Kasumi walked over to Yu. She started talking, and Karin could hear it all.

“So… there’s no changing groups, then?” Kasumi asked. Yu tilted her head, then shook it back and forth. 

“What’s wrong with Karin-senpai?” Yu asked back. Kasumi went down her long mental list of reasons why she and Karin were not compatible in the slightest. She landed on one that didn’t seem too hostile and said it.

“Well, we’re like complete opposites.” Kasumi looked back at Karin, who was tapping her foot in impatience. “Our images, I mean.”

“That’s perfect!” Yu gave Kasumi a wide smile then placed her hand on top of Kasumi’s head, rubbing back and forth, slowly and softly. “I know you can do it, Kasumi-chan.”

Kasumi tilted her head downwards to hide the blush on her face, but Karin saw it and rolled her eyes.

After Yu stopped the two of them smiled at each other. 

“Kasumin will do her best!” Only Yu was still smiling as Kasumi walked back over to Karin.

“Alright, we’ll end practice early starting today. Work hard everybody,” Yu said as she clapped. 

Karin and Kasumi stared at each other and sighed.

“Let’s get this over with, Karin-senpai.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, KasuKari fans, I am back. This time it's a long fic, as you can tell by the chapter count of 9! I'm putting my all into this one, so hopefully it becomes a good story by the end.
> 
> I first came up with this idea when the Nijigasaki anime came out, thanks to a certain SetsuAyu comic artist. Big thanks to her for introducing me to KasuKari in general. 
> 
> Anyway, over the next few months this fic should update pretty regularly as long as I keep up my current pace. We'll see if I burn out before the end... 
> 
> If I do go on a small hiatus, I do have almost everything planned out, so I'll know how to continue.
> 
> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy (:


	2. You Could Call it a “Storm”

Before leaving the rooftop, Setsuna told everyone that she organized a document that had the schedules for any rooms that would be open after school. That document was now posted to their group chat. 

Ai yelled about how she wanted to go to the audiovisual room so they could watch things to find ideas. Setsuna and Ayumu decided to stay on the roof to talk about potential song ideas. Shizuku and Emma chose to take over one of the open lounges so they could have some tea and cookies to stimulate their brains.

At the same time, Kasumi and Karin were arguing about where they should go. Karin suggested going straight to a stage, where she could show Kasumi the kind of dancing she wanted to do. Instead of that, Kasumi wanted to go straight to the Fashion Club, where they could pick out cute outfits.

“Don’t you think you’re getting too ahead of yourselves?” Yu asked to break up the argument.

Karin figured that Yu was right, so she offered an easy compromise.

“We could go back to the clubroom and _try_ to come up with an idea.” After sighing out her reluctance to agree with Karin of all people, Kasumi accepted the offer.

“Is that alright, Yu-senpai?” Yu nodded and told them she’d be in the music room practicing.

Kasumi admired Yu’s dedication as well. Not only was she supporting the School Idol Club, but she was juggling that and her piano playing. It was incredible how much Yu was able to accomplish.

_Yeah, I’ll do it for Yu-senpai._

With that thought, Kasumi tried to get fired up about her duet with Karin.

“Alright, everyone. You’ll have three weeks before our little competition. Good luck!”

After hearing those words from Yu, everyone except for Setsuna and Ayumu left the rooftop and went on their own.

Karin chose the clubroom for a few reasons. She had made the trip between the rooftop and the clubroom many times, so it was impossible for her to get lost. The clubroom also had ample room to dance and a whiteboard to write ideas down on. They also spent a lot of time in the clubroom, so it would be a comfortable, familiar environment to work in.

There was one other reason, though. In between the rooftop and the clubroom there was a vending machine. And it had cans of black coffee in it.

After recent events, Karin figured she’d need the caffeine to deal with Kasumi.

As they approached the vending machine, Karin figured she’d offer Kasumi a drink. Something to celebrate this doomed partnership.

“Want anything?” she asked. “Senpai’s treat.”

Instead of the gratefulness Karin expected, doubt and confusion were the emotions all over Kasumi’s face.

“What are you plotting this time?” Kasumi asked. Karin thought that was ironic coming from the prankster of the group. 

“What, I can’t buy you a drink?”

“It’s suspicious. You’re never nice to me. What could you want?” Karin sighed then looked at the vending machine. She located the coffee in the top left corner, inserted some coins, and pressed the buttons on the side. Meanwhile Kasumi muttered, “Bread… the tickets… what else is there?”

To interrupt those musings, Karin picked up the cold coffee can and placed it against Kasumi’s cheek. 

After a loud yelp, Kasumi asked, “What was that for?”

“You want a drink, or what?” At first, Kasumi was taken aback by Karin’s actions and her offer, but she eyed the can of black coffee and pointed at it.

“Get me one of those.” Karin’s questioning expression turned into a blank one, then she raised an eyebrow. She knew how Kasumi operated, so she decided to call her out on it.

“Why? So you can pretend to be mature if anyone sees you?”

“H-How… I mean, no! I drink coffee all the time.” Karin gave her a long, slow eye roll, and Kasumi pouted back. “D-Don’t believe me? Then let me prove it.”

“Caffeine isn’t good for little girls like you,” Karin said. Her words had some truth in them, but Kasumi was already in too deep. She wouldn’t back down now. Especially not because of Karin.

“I’m growing, okay?” Kasumi groaned and asked again, “Can I have a coffee, please?” She smiled and extended her hand to receive a can. Karin sighed before giving her the can she had already bought before going back to the machine.

When she came back with another can, Karin cracked it open and took a long sip. The black coffee was bitter, but enjoyable as always. The caffeine wouldn’t kick in for a little while, but it would in time for their brainstorming session.

On the other hand, Kasumi hadn’t opened her coffee yet. Karin guessed she was saving it in case she saw anyone on the way.

If Karin could read Kasumi’s mind, she’d know she was partially right. But there was another reason Kasumi hadn’t opened the can and drank some coffee.

She already knew she despised the taste of coffee, especially black coffee. But she couldn’t take back the words she said. However, the fear of tasting that disgusting bitterness held her back.

After Karin noticed the obvious reluctance written all over Kasumi’s face, a small grin crept up to her lips.

“Well? Weren’t you going to _prove_ something?” She asked, with an ounce of superiority in her voice. “I thought you drank coffee… _all the time_.” She prolonged the pauses between the last three words she said, emphasizing Kasumi’s lie.

Kasumi thought of the line from the sexy teacher and saw Karin in front of her, doing the same thing with pausing between the last few, but important words of what they were saying. Kasumi didn’t let her mind go further and remind her of that image of Karin as the teacher. 

Instead, she cracked open the coffee can.

“Fine.” Kasumi swallowed her fears and placed the can on her lips. Then she tilted the can and her head, and gravity did the rest. Kasumi took a few gulps of coffee and hated how the bitter taste stuck to her tongue. She finished with a pain-filled grimace. “T-There. Is that enough?”

Kasumi looked up at Karin, who was wearing an incredulous expression. She must be impressed, Kasumi thought. Then that disbelief turned into worry.

“Have you ever had that much coffee before?” Karin asked as she walked up to Kasumi and inspected her. Of course, the caffeine wouldn’t kick in for a while, but Karin needed to make sure she’d be alright for the next hour or so.

“Like I said, all the time,” Kasumi lied. “What about you? You took what, a sip?”

“I like to enjoy my coffee. Also I space it out so that I don’t have too much caffeine at once.”

_Oh, is that what you’re supposed to do?_

Karin knew that Kasumi was lying after seeing the shock on her face. She brought her hand to her face and shook her head back and forth.

Kasumi was always one to pretend. Karin shouldn’t have expected anything less from her.

Then again, was Karin any better?

With that thought, Karin decided to ask, “Why do you always do things like this?” 

Sure, Karin did what Kasumi did to a lesser extent. She also wanted others to see her masks instead of herself. Her reasons might be different to Kasumi’s reasons, but this was one of the few aspects in which they were similar. 

“What do you mean?” Kasumi asked in return.

“You know, pretending to be something you’re not.” 

Kasumi thought for a while about the question. It was just something she did. Sometimes to get what she wanted or to seem a certain way to others. But she wasn’t sure of what her entire answer to that question was.

“What’s wrong with that? Besides, one day, I might be able to drink coffee, and it’ll help me focus.” Karin wasn’t quite satisfied with that answer, but decided to let it go and focus on their upcoming duet. Kasumi took another drink―a sip this time―but still recoiled in disgust. “Bleh, how do you drink this _trash_?”

“No one’s gonna believe you if you can’t handle the taste,” Karin said as she started walking. 

“That’s why I’m getting used to it now.” Kasumi ran a bit to catch up, then matched Karin’s pace.

“Sorry, I should rephrase that. No one’s gonna believe you, period.” Kasumi stuck her tongue out at Karin, who chuckled in response. “Yeah, ‘cute’ suits you way better than ‘mature,’ Kasukasu.”

“Hey! It’s Kasumin!”

Much to Kasumi’s chagrin, Karin started to relentlessly tease her as they walked together to the clubroom.

* * *

When the caffeine started to kick in for Kasumi, it was like she was in a whole new world. Her mind moved faster and lingered on specific subjects for less time. She bounced all over the place, sometimes coming back to an idea she had proposed minutes ago but hadn’t touched since.

Karin thought that caffeinated Kasumi would be pretty good at brainstorming. She wasn’t expecting this mess of a situation. 

The whiteboard in the room was almost unreadable with the massive amount of incoherent ideas written all over it. Karin could understand what was on it, but only because she was able to keep up with Kasumi explaining each idea at a breakneck pace.

Karin did her best to slow her down. 

“Alright, explain the panda one again. And try to stay on it for more than _one_ minute this time,” Karin said to interrupt Kasumi’s mutterings about what flowers they could dress up as.

“Pandas are cute. Agree?” Karin nodded. “You like pandas, right?” Another nod. “So let’s do a song about pandas! You like them, and they’re cute. It’s perfect.”

“I did say more than one minute, didn’t I?” Karin sighed and watched as Kasumi went down another train of thought and erased a partial idea she had on the whiteboard. 

In a way, Kasumi’s haphazard attempt at brainstorming was similar to the way Karin’s mind would bounce between ideas when she thought too hard about herself. If only Emma was there to help Kasumi calm down like she always could with Karin.

Then Karin remembered some of the things Emma did to help her calm down and decided to try the most effective one.

“Kasumi-chan, I have an idea.”

“What is it? What is it?” Kasumi honed in on Karin’s words, expecting an idea that would satisfy them both. 

“Come over here first,” Karin said before pointing at the ground next to her feet. Kasumi obliged, wondering what was going on.

Before Kasumi could process it all, Karin’s arms were wrapped around her. She let out angry, flustered, and confused noises that were muffled because her mouth was pressed against Karin’s shirt. She felt two large, soft mounds press against her collarbones and couldn’t think straight. 

As her mind was going haywire, Kasumi heard Karin whisper into her ear.

“Shh. Relax for a little.” Kasumi tried to wriggle her way out, but Karin’s hold was tight. “Just breathe.”

After she grew tired of struggling, Kasumi decided to listen. She relaxed into Karin’s hug and took slow, deep breaths. She couldn’t help but think of Karin's scent, and warmth, and softness, but let those thoughts come and go as she focused on calming down.

“Once you’re ready, try and think about one thing at a time.” After a few minutes, Karin released Kasumi, who seemed to be more composed after the long hug. To make sure, she asked, “Better?” Kasumi nodded.

“Alright. Now what is the panda idea?” Karin asked. Kasumi looked at her as if she was confused at the question she was asked. Then, as she thought about what she said earlier, she looked to the side. Karin saw the nervous smile on her face then realized. “Don’t tell me-”

“T-That was it.”

“This is hopeless,” Karin said before letting out a long sigh. “What would a song about pandas even be about? Other than pandas?

“I don’t know! I was just thinking about something that we’d both like. You like pandas. Pandas are cute. _I’m_ cute.” Karin shook her head in disbelief. “Well, do _you_ have any bright ideas?”

“Yeah. I’ve been trying to tell you them while you were going _insane_.” Karin pointed at the blackboard covered in black scribbles. Kasumi looked back at her work before urging Karin on to give her any ideas. Maybe some magical connection to any of her ideas would pop up as she was listening.

Then Karin started talking about what she wanted to do, and Kasumi knew it was doomed.

Karin, no matter what, wanted to show off her dancing. Which was a problem for Kasumi, because she felt like their dancing styles were opposites. Karin wanted to show off her body, while Kasumi wanted to direct the audience’s attention to her cute face and her expressions.

So when Karin suggested a song with a slower tempo so she could show off some moves she’d been practicing, Kasumi rejected the idea. Besides, Karin’s suggestion lacked direction when it came to lyrics and theme. She was too focused on the dancing part. There wasn’t a concrete idea they could build upon.

As Kasumi explained this all, both of them came to the same realizations.

First, they had nothing in common. Second, this partnership was destined to fail. And last, they were going to lose their chance at hot spring tickets.

Karin was the first to express her doubts.

“This isn’t gonna work is it?” she asked, to which Kasumi nodded.

“My hot spring tickets… down the drain. Now how am I gonna go with…” Karin noticed a small detail in Kasumi’s words and decided to press her on it.

“What do you mean ‘tickets’ instead of ‘ticket?’” As if caught committing a crime, Kasumi looked away and twiddled her fingers as she tried to come up with an explanation. When she figured she couldn’t lie her way out, she told the truth.

“I mean come on. _Us_ at a hot spring together? Alone? I can’t imagine either of us having a good time.” Kasumi used those words to justify her next sentence. “So I was gonna ask if you’d let me bring someone else with yours.”

“Seriously?” Karin already knew who she was referring to. That much was obvious. But she didn’t know Kasumi would stoop this low to spend time with her crush. This was supposed to be a partnership, so they should share the rewards.

“Well, would you wanna go with me?” Kasumi asked, knowing Karin’s answer. At that, Karin snapped a little.

“You know what? _If_ we win, which I highly doubt will happen, then I’ll give you my ticket.” Karin did want to go to the hot spring, but if it had to be with Kasumi, she’d pass in a heartbeat. “I’m super busy with work, and practice, and school stuff anyway.”

“Oh, yeah. You’re busy, sure. But you’re avoiding the issue right now.” Kasumi wasn’t done yet. No, she wouldn’t let Karin get the better of her. “Just admit that you’re not willing to compromise. Then we can call it a day.”

Kasumi did suggest the panda idea, which she saw as a nice compromise when it came to things they liked. Sure, it was a bit directionless and vague, but at least it was a start. On the other hand, Karin only suggested something that would show off her talents, completely ignoring Kasumi’s wants.

But Karin didn’t see it that way. No, she gave Kasumi what she wanted to do in the hopes that they could figure something out together. While Kasumi was going through rapid fire themes, she was offering what she wanted to bring to their partnership, and Kasumi didn’t take that into account for any of her ideas.

Unaware that those intentions had passed each other by, they continued arguing. Then, after thinking that there was no way to salvage the situation, Karin snapped.

“You know what? Until we find a decent idea with good direction that we can _agree_ on, there is no way I’m getting up on that stage with you.” Karin didn’t want to be mean to Kasumi. In general she wanted to help guide her juniors, not hurt them. But this time she felt it was the only way to help Kasumi see the problems with their partnership. “If we can’t… then you can kiss _your_ hot spring tickets goodbye.”

Before Kasumi could think of how to respond, Karin said, “I need a bathroom break. _Try_ to come up with some good ideas.”

Karin stood up and walked out of the clubroom, slowly and calmly. But with the storm of emotions raging inside of her, she might as well have ran out screaming.

* * *

There was a bathroom near the clubroom, which was convenient in this situation. Karin sped over to an empty stall after she entered. It didn’t seem like anyone was in the bathroom, but Karin didn’t want anyone to see her looking frustrated and angry.

She let out a large sigh as she leaned against the stall door. 

Bathroom stalls were the best place to be alone and undisturbed. Karin would only use one to think in during dire circumstances. She figured that how she snapped at Kasumi fit those requirements. She reexamined everything that happened and tried to find where everything started to go wrong.

It wasn’t Kasumi’s fault that it turned out the way it did. Karin was the one who bought her the coffee instead of refusing. She knew that Kasumi wouldn’t be able to handle it, but in the moment she wanted to prove that Kasumi shouldn’t pretend.

How hypocritical, Karin thought.

Then, when it came to the whole brainstorming failure, it was because of the caffeine that Kasumi wasn’t able to focus properly. Sure, Karin helped calm her down. That was one good thing she did.

But maybe what happened after was her fault.

She already knew that she and Kasumi wouldn’t have much in common, so coming up with an idea that they’d agree on would be hard. That’s why Karin wanted to tell Kasumi the things she wanted to offer, and she hoped that Kasumi would do the same. Then they might be able to come up with ideas from there.

As Karin realized this, she also realized that they were approaching brainstorming from opposite ends. Kasumi wanted to establish a theme for direction on how to work together, while Karin wanted to focus on their specific talents before coming up with a theme that would match both of them.

Karin should have noticed this sooner. She should have taken the lead and told Kasumi her plans before they started. Maybe they’d already have a basic idea they could start working on at this point.

“You’re so stupid, Karin,” she said. Despite knowing that no one was in the bathroom with her, Karin whispered those words, as if she didn’t want to hear them herself. 

After deciding to try again with Kasumi, with her new plan to lead Kasumi in mind, Karin exited the stall and looked in the mirror.

She looked at her figure, and imagined Kasumi next to her, and made mental comparisons.

It was true that they were complete opposites, at least when it came to their images. Kasumi was very cute. Karin tried to be cool. Maybe there was something they could work with there.

Karin approached the sink as she started to think about that idea. She and Kasumi had different strengths. Kasumi had her cuteness and the ability to make her audience smile with joy. Karin wouldn’t admit it to Kasumi, as that would boost her already huge ego to unimaginable levels, but even she smiled while rewatching one of Kasumi’s concerts. On the other hand, Karin wanted to make her audience swoon after showing off her dancing.

They could use that contrast to create a song that would show off both their strengths, right?

Karin thought about it for a little longer, but realized that even that idea was vague. Maybe if they worked on it together, they’d be able to develop it into a full song with lyrics.

She didn’t like working with Kasumi so far, but after telling Kasumi how she wanted to approach brainstorming, they’d be able to work together for sure.

“Do it for the fans,” Karin told herself. If she could perform in front of her fans and do an amazing duet, Karin would do it, no matter who her partner was. The problem was coming up with an actual duet to do, but she knew they could do it.

They had a few weeks to work together. That was plenty of time to spend together and refine their ideas. Karin didn’t need to freak out if they couldn’t come up with something perfect on the first day. 

With her new resolve, Karin encouraged herself a little before leaving the bathroom. 

Then the bathroom door opened, and Karin was surprised to see who entered.

* * *

Right after Karin left, Kasumi stood up and walked to the window. She saw the park where they ran as a club to improve their stamina. It was filled with students and other adults, who were all moving through their lives at their own paces.

Kasumi, on the other hand, was at a complete standstill.

It wasn’t just her partnership with Karin that had come to a halt. 

Her eyes drifted to a pair of large trees in the central area of the park. She had heard rumors about those trees representing eternal lovers. Supposedly, if you confessed to your love underneath that tree, and they accepted, your love would last forever.

But only if they accepted, Kasumi reminded herself before she got her hopes up too much. She wanted to be sure about her confession to Yu. Then she would go through with it.

The lack of progress was the biggest issue.

She sighed and decided to focus on problems that were more immediate. Her duet with Karin was another chance to impress Yu. If they won, Karin said she’d give over her ticket to Kasumi, which meant that Kasumi could invite Yu. That was another chance to get closer.

If only Karin didn’t get so cranky about it.

“Stupid Karin-senpai,” Kasumi said to no one in particular. She looked back at the whiteboard that was covered in scribbles, and read all the ideas, and realized that Karin wouldn’t agree to any of them. It would have been much easier to come up with ideas if her partner was anyone else.

The thought of Shizuku slipped into her head, and Kasumi realized she’d have to forgo eating fries and chatting if she couldn’t come up with a good idea soon. Kasumi decided to get a little more serious when it came to brainstorming.

Maybe she should have taken Karin’s opinion into account, but Karin only mentioned her talents, not any ideas. Then, thinking of their strengths and images, Kasumi arrived at a new idea.

“What about sexy versus cute, or something like that?” Kasumi cleared part of the whiteboard and wrote that down. It was a bit vague, but it was a start.

As she thought longer, she started thinking about what made Karin sexy. Obviously her body played a big role in that, but was there more? If Kasumi could pinpoint that, then maybe she’d be able to go further with her idea.

Maybe Kasumi would even be able to be sexy.

That thought stood out above all the rest of her ideas as the way she could get unstuck when it came to Yu.

She whipped out her phone and looked up Karin. Ignoring how beautiful she thought Karin could look at times, Kasumi swiped through the images of Karin posing with various clothes on. Then she landed on a picture that stunned her.

It was a closeup of Karin’s gorgeous face covered in makeup. The thing that stood out the most were Karin’s full lips. They were painted in ruby red, showing off the lipstick the advertisement was for. Kasumi admired the image for a little longer, focusing on those lips while letting an idea form in her mind.

“This is it!” Excited to share, Kasumi rushed out of the room and headed straight to the nearest bathroom.

* * *

Karin was taken aback when Kasumi stormed into the restroom while holding up her phone.

“I have an idea!” Kasumi yelled in the empty bathroom.

“A good one?” Kasumi nodded at that question and held up her phone for Karin to see. It was a picture of herself, wearing an all too familiar lipstick. “I really like that one. I even have one in my makeup bag.”

“Really?” Kasumi asked as she rushed forward and brought her smiling face closer. Karin backed away as Kasumi approached. “Do you have it right now?”

“It’s back in the clubroom. Why?” Was Kasumi always interested in makeup? They wore some on stage as parts of their costumes, but Karin didn’t recall a time when Kasumi asked her about specific brands or anything like that. It was mainly more of how to make her look as cute as possible.

“Let’s go back then,” Kasumi said as she grabbed Karin’s hand. Surprised by the unfamiliar contact, Karin let Kasumi pull her towards the door. It opened as they approached.

“A-Asaka-senpai?” a girl asked as she looked at the Kasumi and Karin standing next to each other. Recognizing the girl as one of her fans, Karin smiled and waved, but the girl’s eyes drifted downwards to her other hand. Karin tried to slip her hand through Kasumi’s grip, but Kasumi didn’t let go.

“Excuse us, we’re in a hurry.” After saying that, Kasumi dragged Karin past the girl. They ran to the clubroom, leaving Karin’s fan behind. Karin looked back and saw the girl staring at them. She prayed that there wouldn’t be any misunderstandings.

Then again, two girls holding hands in the bathroom was sure to leave a lasting impression. Hopefully rumors wouldn’t spread. It would be terrible for both Kasumi and Karin if people started talking about whether or not they were dating.

When they went inside the clubroom, Karin took a deep breath and asked, “What was that for?”

“Can I try on the lipstick?” When Karin didn’t respond in an instant, Kasumi continued, “Pretty please?” Still confused, Karin decided to oblige to see where Kasumi was going with this.

Karin went to her locker and pulled out a small pouch. She pulled out a chair, and Kasumi sat in it.

First Karin applied some lip balm, then slowly dragged her index finger along Kasumi’s lips, making sure that everywhere she planned on applying lipstick was nice and smooth. Then she outlined Kasumi’s lips with lip liner, taking extra care since the lips were so unfamiliar to her.

The entire time, Kasumi’s brain was running on all cylinders, thinking of Karin’s soft touch and long fingers. Karin’s face was right next to hers, and Kasumi could see why everyone called Karin a beauty. Her skin was smooth, without a blemish in sight. Her eyes looked like blue lakes that were flat on the surface but quite deep when taking a closer look.

Karin wasn’t faring any better, averting her eyes back to Kasumi’s lips each time their gazes met. But her gaze kept drifting upwards, and even when she didn’t look all the way up to Kasumi’s eyes, she could still see the light blush on Kasumi’s cheeks. Seeing that made her much more aware of their close proximity. She’d try to focus on what she was doing, but her mind followed her gaze’s lead.

After finishing with the lip liner, Karin pulled out the lipstick that Kasumi was interested in. She took off the cap, revealing that deep red that colored Karin’s lips beautifully. Then she glanced over at Kasumi, whose thin lips wouldn’t show off the red in the same way. A lighter red or pink would look much nicer, she thought.

“You sure about this?” Karin asked. When she saw Kasumi nod, she shrugged and started applying lipstick. 

The same thoughts as before ran through both of their minds, and Karin’s slow pace didn’t help either of them get past the embarrassment they both felt.

As soon as Karin cleaned off the excess lipstick, she brought out her compact and opened it.

“What do you think?” Kasumi stared at herself. It felt much different than her normal cute style. Kasumi was a minimalist when it came to makeup, as she was naturally cute, but she didn’t mind the feeling of her painted lips. Still, she wasn’t quite satisfied with how her face looked. Compared to Karin’s photo in the magazine, she was nowhere close.

“Do you think I’m sexy?” Kasumi asked, already knowing the answer. Still, Karin’s chuckle annoyed her. 

“What are you talking about? Lipstick won’t make you sexy.” 

“Well, can you teach me how to be?” 

Karin wondered about her answer to that question. Could being sexy be taught? There were techniques that Karin used onstage, during shoots, or while she was teasing her juniors. But did those, along with what you were wearing, make you sexy?

“If you can, then we can do whatever idea you want,” Kasumi continued. “If I can change my image, then I can match your routine, right?” Karin nodded. It would be nice if they didn’t have to spend time on two opposing choreographies. Still, Karin had doubts about Kasumi’s suggestion.

“I thought you wanted to be cute, not sexy. Don’t _you_ think that’s better for showing off?”

“Well,” Kasumi said before looking at the window once again, “maybe some people might like it better.”

In an instant, Karin knew Kasumi’s ulterior motive when it came to this suggestion. Changing her own image for Yu seemed like a terrible idea. Even if it did draw Yu’s attention for a little, Kasumi wasn’t sexy. It was just another mask. Karin didn’t want Kasumi to follow her example, especially when it came to something that Karin wasn’t sure about herself.

“I think that’s a terrible idea.” Karin thought of the coffee incident and how it ruined the beginning of their brainstorming session. “You’re cute already. Becoming sexy means you’re going to flip your entire image. It sounds impossible.”

“That’s why I’m asking you to teach me,” Kasumi said, remembering her conversation with Shizuku the day before. Karin did give off a mature, sexy aura. Surely she could give decent advice when it came to emulating her.

After hearing those words, Karin thought a little harder about it. If Kasumi could actually become sexy, then wouldn’t it be alright?

Kasumi hadn’t made any progress when it came to Yu. Even Karin could tell. Her cuteness wasn’t enough. Karin respected the idea of going down a different path in order to pursue something. Even though that thing was love.

Besides, when one of her juniors made such an earnest request, how could Karin resist helping her?

“Alright. I’ll help you become sexy if you go along with the idea I choose.” As Kasumi celebrated with a hug, Karin let out a soft sigh. “Besides, doing this will help me come up with ideas anyway.”

“Sounds great, Karin-senpai.” Kasumi tightened her hug, and Karin smiled. After she realized what she was doing, Karin gave Kasumi a light push.

“Alright, alright, let go.” As Kasumi let go and looked at her with a wide, excited smile, Karin picked up her makeup bag and dumped it onto the table. She looked at the contents, trying to decide what to use on Kasumi. Then she looked back, and Kasumi was still staring at her in anticipation.

“I hope this is worth it,” Karin thought to herself. Then, forgetting her doubts, and fears, and expectations of failure, Karin picked up a brush and some foundation. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's part 2 of the longfic. KasuKari brainstorming and finding an idea... well, if only their words didn't pass each other by. Well, they came up with something eventually right? 
> 
> I've been dawdling a bit when it comes to writing recently, but I've finally finished this chapter. Hope you enjoyed (:


	3. Let's Roll Models

Making Kasumi sexy turned out to be harder than expected. In the first place, Karin didn't have much in her makeup bag. She rarely used anything more than foundation and concealer. Her modeling job was the one place she needed a full mask of makeup. She only had large brushes in her bag, so she couldn’t focus on little things without using her fingers. And she refused to do that after how flustered both she and Kasumi were while she was applying the lip balm.

Karin pushed past the lack of materials by focusing on the things that would produce the most visible change. Blush, eyeshadow, and mascara were some of the things Karin put on when she knew she could wear them for the entire day. Those were rare occasions, especially now that she was dancing everyday. 

Another thing Karin had to ignore was the mutual embarrassment they felt while their faces were in such close proximity. As if remembering it each time Karin got up, Kasumi would turn her head when Karin pulled away. Then, while ignoring Kasumi’s complaints about how long it was taking and how Karin needed to be gentler with her touches, Karin would turn her head back towards her. And she’d see Kasumi’s blush and blush right back.

Luckily, that awkwardness seemed to fade as Karin continued working. Karin wasn’t sure how to feel about the idea that she was growing more comfortable with touching Kasumi’s face. She decided to write it off as a sign that they were growing closer, which would be better for their partnership in the long run.

The last problem was that, as Karin continued, the idea that sexy didn’t suit Kasumi kept reinforcing itself. Kasumi didn’t look bad. Far from it, Karin noted, but it wasn’t the cute Kasumi she knew. It didn’t help that Karin had never put makeup on another person, so she wasn’t used to highlighting the contours of Kasumi’s face in the same way. So she did what worked on her. 

After Karin reapplied the lipstick she brought out her compact again and showed Kasumi.

“W-Woah.” Kasumi turned her face back and forth as she examined her reflection. Karin saw as her eyes shined and couldn’t help but smile. “I look amazing!” Karin’s smile disappeared in an instant, and she shut her compact.

“You should really let someone else tell you that,” Karin said, eliciting a glare from Kasumi.

“Gimme that.” Kasumi grabbed the compact and stared at her reflection. “What do you think, then?”

“Well… you look a little more… mature?” That wasn’t the word Kasumi wanted to hear.

“Sexy?” Karin wanted to say yes, because then they could start working on ideas for a song. But when she opened her mouth, Karin realized she couldn’t say it without laughing. So she closed her eyes and smiled instead. Understanding that smile for what it was, Kasumi continued, “You don’t think so? I think you did a pretty good job, though.”

Karin knew those words weren’t quite correct. She thought about how to prove it to Kasumi, who knew next to nothing when it came to what a “good” makeup job entailed. The only way to do so would be to get a professional to do Kasumi’s makeup, Karin figured.

As Karin was busy thinking of places in Tokyo that would do a good job, Kasumi stood up from her seat and walked up to Karin. She struck one of her cute poses, where she tilted her head and pouted. Karin’s mental calculations of how much money she’d spend on Kasumi were interrupted by a voice.

“What are you thinking about?” Karin didn’t know why she started laughing. Maybe it was the jarring appearance of Kasumi painted with makeup. Another possibility was hearing that phrase in a familiar voice, but not recognizing the girl in front of her.

Or it could just be because Karin realized that the situation was utterly hopeless.

“What happened to becoming sexy?” Karin asked in between laughs. “Really, cute suits you way better.” Kasumi growled in annoyance, but couldn’t deny that Karin was right. At least right then, anyway.

Even if she did look the part, if Kasumi didn’t change her mannerisms, then she’d never become sexy.

So she thought again of Karin, and how she acted while flirting or teasing, and some of the poses she had seen in the magazines. Finding something simple that she could imitate, Kasumi took a deep breath before bringing her index finger next to her lips. She leaned closer to Karin and turned her eyes upward.

Karin was almost stunned at the sight. She still wouldn’t call it sexy, though. Kasumi’s natural cuteness outweighed the combination of makeup and pose. Besides, in that pose, Kasumi looked as awkward as a fish floundering out of water. They still had a long way to go if Kasumi wanted to call herself sexy.

“Well? How do I look now?” Kasumi asked, expecting a better response.

“Like a cute puppy begging for a treat.” As Kasumi muttered about her own cuteness, Karin couldn’t fight the urge to reach out her hand and give Kasumi a pat on the head. Kasumi leaned into it for a split second before realizing what was going on. “See?”

“I know I’m cute already.” Kasumi retreated outside of Karin’s reach. “And who gave you permission?!”

“Ah, I couldn’t help it.” Karin lowered her outstretched arm and cleared her throat. “Anyway, it’s not just your fault. I didn’t do that good of a job with your makeup.” She explained how she didn’t have everything she needed when it came to makeup or knowledge.

“W-Wait… aren’t we wasting a bunch of time then?” Kasumi didn’t even try to hide her frustration with their lack of progress.

“Aren’t we?” Karin asked back, trying to convey annoyance in return. “Maybe there’s another idea we can come up with.”

After all, when it came to actually being sexy, Karin didn’t see herself that way. No, it was just a mask she put on in front of others. How could she possibly teach Kasumi to be something that she couldn’t even call herself?

“So you’re going back on our deal?” Seeing Kasumi’s glare and hearing those words got Karin fired up. Maybe some tips would be enough for Kasumi to think of her own ways to put on that mask of sexiness. Sure, it wasn’t quite what Kasumi requested, but it wasn’t like Kasumi 

Karin shook her head and thought about what else she could do. Then, after coming up with an idea, Karin pulled out her phone.

“Good afternoon. Do you have a shoot coming up any time soon?” Kasumi watched Karin, unsure of who she was calling. “Perfect. I’m coming in today with a friend.”

“Rival,” Kasumi added. Karin glanced over at her and rolled her eyes. 

“See you soon.” Karin put away her phone and packed away all the makeup still on the large, round table where they gathered as a club. After storing it away in her locker, she picked up her bag and motioned for Kasumi to follow.

“Where are we going?” Kasumi asked as they walked outside the club.

“Like I said, I’m not a pro when it comes to makeup.” As much as Karin wanted to accomplish everything by herself when it came to helping Kasumi, she admitted she needed some assistance. “But I do know some great makeup artists.”

“Like the people that do your makeup when you’re taking photos?” Karin nodded at the question. “That still doesn’t answer me, though.”

“Can you think for longer than two seconds?” Ignoring how annoying she thought Karin could be at times, Kasumi followed directions. Then it dawned on her.

“Your agency?” Karin’s wide grin told Kasumi everything she needed to know.

* * *

During the train ride to her agency, Karin checked in with Emma, asking how she was doing when it came to working on her duet. Emma said that Shizuku was easy to work with, and the two of them had come up with many ideas and themes that they could explore over the coming weeks.

After Emma asked how she was doing in return, Karin let out a long sigh and said, “If only it was that easy.” Ignoring Kasumi’s questioning glance, Karin texted back about how they were still brainstorming. They might have one idea, though, she added.

The commute took around an hour, so when they arrived at the agency the sky was on the cusp of turning orange. Workers were getting off of work at the time, so the station in Shibuya was a bit busy. Kasumi and Karin weaved their way through the crowded station and onto the even-more-crowded streets.

Karin guessed that with any luck, they’d be able to grab a bite to eat before it got too late. After all, eating before bed would lead to weight gain. She needed to be in peak condition for modeling.

They went to Karin’s agency which had the tacky name, “Let’s Roll Models.” Compared to this terrible wordplay, Ai’s puns were pure poetry, Karin thought. She didn’t even believe in the message all too much. But, as an agency, they always treated Karin well so she never complained.

“This is the name?” Kasumi asked as she stared at the giant letters covering the door. Karin waited for a laugh, but when it never came, she gave Kasumi a confused look. “W-What?”

“You don’t get it?” Kasumi shook her head at the question, and Karin explained the English behind the pun.

“Like ‘lets go, models?’ But also the fact that you look up to models when it comes to how you want to look and dress, right?” 

“Everyone gives the same explanation.” Karin opened the door for Kasumi, who seemed to still be thinking. “Save _some_ of your brain power for learning, Kasumi-chan.” After a small grumble, Kasumi entered with Karin following right behind.

As they made their way to the makeup studio, many employees greeted Karin. She responded with short, polite sentences that always mentioned the employees’ names. 

Besides the few times that Karin interacted with people who worked the stage she performed on, this was the first time Kasumi had seen Karin that was professional in the workplace. She thought it was quite unlike how Karin acted around the rest of the School Idol Club. Especially when it came to her. Karin’s interactions lacked any of the traces of sarcasm, wit, and playfulness that filled their conversations.

Kasumi decided to call this the boring side of Karin and grinned at her decision.

On the other hand, Karin thought this mask was necessary when it came to her career.

The sight of the inside of the makeup studio amazed Kasumi. She had seen the mirrors with lightbulbs surrounding them in the makeup rooms at venues. But when it came to the sheer amount of brushes, sponges, and cosmetics, Kasumi was almost overwhelmed with what she was seeing. 

The room itself was painted in a gaudy pink. There were two tables, both black, in front of the mirrors. One table was organized, with brushes placed in neat rows and makeup products of similar nature placed into their own respective sections. The other was the opposite, as if the makeup was left next to other products that were used alongside it, leaving a chaotic mess of cosmetics.

“Good afternoon, Hitomi, Usako-chan.” Karin said to the women sitting at those two tables. Karin had become close with them after chatting to them while they worked on her makeup. They greeted her using her first name as well. “This is-”

“Oh, who is this cutie?” Usako asked as she ran up to Kasumi and examined her face. Kasumi backed up in surprise, but Usako kept following her until she had her back to the door. “And _who_ did this clown makeup?” 

Hearing that half-joking question just confirmed Karin’s doubts when it came to her own skill. After clearing her throat, Karin said, “The girl you’re scaring right now is my friend, Kasumi-chan. And I put on her makeup.”

After Usako nervously laughed before pulling away, Hitomi flicked Usako on the head, eliciting a pained yelp. Karin laughed then introduced the two makeup artists. Hitomi bowed in a respectful manner while Usako held up a peace sign.

Hitomi was a quiet woman with long brown hair, glasses, and freckles she refused to cover up with makeup. At first, Karin thought someone with such a timid appearance would be more of a pushover. Instead, she found that Hitomi exuded quiet, confident professionalism. Hitomi was an expert at touch-ups and tended to notice little details that could be improved on. She never complained about tough jobs and always did what was asked of her. Karin trusted her the most when it came to her makeup.

Then there was Usako, a woman with a loud, flamboyant personality that matched her choices in makeup. She had short blonde hair, though the color would change in a month by the latest, and wore blue-green contacts. Her colorful eyes were framed with long fake eyelashes and bright eyeshadow that blended seamlessly with the blush on her cheeks. Despite Usako’s lack of organization, she was a competent cosmetician. She was always trying new things on herself and others. Of course, Hitomi would sometimes have to do extra work when things didn’t quite match the director’s specifications. Other times, the director would be inspired by Usako’s work.

The two of them balanced each other out quite well. Hitomi was always keeping Usako in check, whereas Usako challenged Hitomi to work on new, interesting ideas. But even Karin could tell when Hitomi would get annoyed at Usako’s tendency to play around a bit too much. They’d argue all the time when it came to makeup, but they always seemed to work it out and turn their model from pretty to drop-dead gorgeous.

Thinking of her partnership with Kasumi, Karin thought the two of them couldn’t be any more different than Hitomi and Usako. They had the different images, frequent arguments, and occasional annoyance with each other down, but none of the other helpful things to compensate.

Well, that would change soon, Karin figured. If anyone could make Kasumi look sexy, it was them. After that, Karin would need to come up with some phrases to say and things to practice when it came to pretending to be sexy.

Once that was settled, they would create a great song they both agreed on. Then they could make their entire audience swoon. It was that simple.

_Right?_

“So, what brings you and Kasumi-san here today? I thought you didn’t have a shoot until Saturday.” Karin nodded at the sudden interruption of her thoughts. Usako continued, “Then why did you bring your friend?”

“Well, as Usako said, I didn’t do the best job when it came to Kasumi’s makeup. Since you’re not busy until later tonight, I thought you could give me some help.” Usako’s eyes lit up at the idea, and she started to beg Hitomi to take on the challenge. After noticing Hitomi’s hesitance, Karin added, “I’ll pay for your time if you want.”

“Ah, there’s no need,” Hitomi responded. “We’re on the clock to be here even if we aren’t doing anything.” She looked over at Usako, who seemed raring to go. “Do you want to go fi-”

“With pleasure!” Usako pulled Kasumi outside to a nearby sink and brought out a face wash. “Ready?”

Kasumi stared at her caked face in the large mirror. If Karin could make her look this good, while calling it a shoddy job, imagine what professionals could do. Besides, a complete stranger touching her face would probably be more tolerable than Karin doing it.

Full to the brim with anticipation, Kasumi nodded with a large grin. 

“Yes!”

* * *

While Usako was cleaning off Kasumi’s makeup, Karin was exchanging more texts with Emma, who said she was getting dinner with Shizuku. Whenever Karin was off work, she and Emma would eat at the cafeteria together. It made sense to spend as much time as you could with your partner, so Karin understood that she’d be hanging out with Emma only during her nightly visit. 

Instead of focusing on that, Karin started to brainstorm things that Kasumi could do to become more sexy. She went through her own repertoire and picked out things that bordered on the edge between cute and sexy. That way Kasumi could transition smoothly between the two, instead of making a jarring leap like she did earlier.

After Kasumi’s face was makeup-free, Usako directed her to a chair. Without any uncertainty, Usako picked out the materials she needed from the messy table. She matched a foundation to Kasumi’s skin tone and started applying it with a small sponge. 

Unfortunately for Kasumi, Usako blocked the mirror in front of her, so she couldn’t learn much about how to apply makeup like a professional.

But, in those small glimpses of the mirror that Kasumi stole when Usako backed away to examine her work, Kasumi saw a slow transformation occurring.

Karin walked over to watch after the foundation was applied. She wanted to take notes when it came to Usako’s technique, in case she needed to apply more makeup on Kasumi in the future. 

“Wait, wait, wait. I’m not finished!” Usako blocked Karin after she saw her approaching. “I can’t reveal my secrets after all.” After seeing Karin’s disappointment, Usako patted her on the back. “Don’t worry. You’ll be blown away when I’m done.”

“Usako is always like this when she has a new project,” Hitomi said after Karin walked back over. “She’s so silly.” Karin looked over again and saw Usako’s determination and excitement.

“Well, it’s cute in it’s own way.”

“Isn’t it?” Karin looked over and saw a slight smile on Hitomi’s lips. Her eyes seemed to be filled with admiration.

They really were good partners, Karin thought. Maybe one day she’d be able to smile the same way at Kasumi’s antics as well. With that hope, Karin continued to watch from afar.

In the meantime, Usako had moved onto highlights and contours. She used small brushes to apply different shades of color to Kasumi’s skin. After she was finished, Kasumi’s face was painted with sparse brush strokes of shades both brighter and darker than her foundation.

When Kasumi saw herself for a brief moment, she remembered Usako’s words from before. Clown makeup. That’s what it looked like to her before Usako blended everything together with a large brush.

The transformation was instantaneous. 

Underneath the bright light coming from the lightbulbs on the mirror, Kasumi saw a girl she almost didn’t recognize. Her experiences with makeup when it came to their costumes didn’t even come close to changing her appearance as drastically as this.

Karin was right. She was no expert.

But, as Kasumi admired Usako’s work, she felt that something was a little off.

“You like it?” Kasumi loved how she looked. The makeup, despite causing such a huge change, still felt natural on her face. Usako, sensing how Kasumi felt from her expression, hummed while admiring her work. “Let’s finish up.”

Usako didn’t apply much more. Even though she wore striking eyeshadow and blush, she settled for a small amount of light blush on Kasumi’s cheeks. Instead of using the same fake eyelashes she used, she only accentuated Kasumi’s eyelashes with a conservative amount of mascara.

After applying a light pink gloss to Kasumi’s lips, Usako turned her chair around and presented her work to Karin and Hitomi.

“Hmm. That looks pretty good,” Hitomi said. Usako ran over and gave Hitomi a high-five, then came back with a camera she stored next to her desk. She snapped a few pictures of Kasumi, who sat still in the chair and smiled back.

On the other hand, Karin walked over to Kasumi and examined her. “Pretty good” was an understatement. Kasumi’s makeup suited her flawlessly.

However, that was the problem.

“Kasumi-chan, what do you think?” Karin spun the chair back around so Kasumi could see herself.

“I… I’ve never been cuter. Thanks, Usako-san!” Kasumi leaned in to examine all of her face in detail.

“She’s like a pretty, petite princess,” Usako said with a grin. “All she needs is a tiara or a crown. I know we have one in our costume closet.” 

As Usako started to brag to Hitomi about her work, Kasumi realized what she had said.

She was _cute_.

Karin noticed that Kasumi figured it out and spun the chair back around to Usako.

“Is this what you wanted?” Karin asked. Kasumi shook her head back and forth over and over, much to Usako’s surprise.

“I want to be… sexy.” As Usako let out multiple sounds of confusion, Hitomi facepalmed.

“You didn’t even ask your client what she wanted?”

“W-Well I saw her and thought something like this would look incredible on her!”

Karin agreed with those words. The makeup made Kasumi even cuter than before. Maybe if she showed up like this to the club, Yu wouldn’t be able to resist giving her a head pat.

In fact, Karin was feeling that same urge before she remembered their original goal.

After reprimanding Usako, Hitomi walked over to Kasumi and examined her makeup. She said, “It does suit you, though. Are you sure you want something different?”

Kasumi looked at herself again. She looked amazing. If she got on stage at that moment, she’d be able to charm the whole world. 

No, the whole world minus one person.

It didn’t matter that there would be endless comments calling her cute and lovable. Kasumi needed a single person to fall for her charms, and cute wasn’t cutting it.

“Yeah. I need to become sexy.” Hitomi listened to her words, let out a sigh, then directed Kasumi to her chair.

“You know, makeup doesn’t make you sexy. It can help when it comes to making people pay attention, but it doesn't really change anything about who or what you are.” Hitomi saw how disheartened Kasumi seemed and continued, “But if that’s the kind of look you want others to see, then let’s go for it.”

Kasumi’s expression brightened in an instant, and Hitomi smiled back, and the two of them headed to the sink.

Karin thought about the words that Hitomi said and couldn’t agree more.

Makeup was just like the masks that she put on around others. It didn’t change anything about who she was, it just hid her pathetic self from view. 

But still, she would continue wearing them. She tried imagining what would happen if she behaved with a lack of confidence around the agency. Who would want to dress Karin up in clothes that she felt she didn’t have the right to wear? Who would want to take photos of a girl who didn’t embrace all of her charms?

No one.

That’s why Karin hid those thoughts. In order to be a model.

Thinking of that, she remembered when she made that mental list of masks while spending time with Emma. She didn’t put on those masks just to be a model. She also did it in front of her friends and her fans as well.

And now she was encouraging Kasumi to do the same. Sure, Hitomi’s words were probably meant to warn Kasumi from embracing her mask as herself. But would Kasumi understand those words? Karin wasn’t sure.

She was sure of one thing, though.

Karin pushed that thought to the back of her mind, and walked over to the other mirror, and inspected herself. She might not have much makeup on because of the practice they held that day, but the mask was on all the same.

With a wry smile, she remembered the name of her agency and the thought she had just pushed aside.

_I’m a terrible role model._

* * *

For the next attempt of making Kasumi sexy, Usako and Hitomi worked together. Usako laid down the foundation and did the contouring again, under Hitomi’s direction. Then Hitomi did the rest. Usako pointed a few things out when it came to the eyeshadow and eyelashes, and Hitomi followed her advice.

They did have a couple arguments when it came to the lipstick. Hitomi insisted that Usako was making her lips look much too large for her face. Usako fought back saying that Kasumi wanted full lips, so that’s what she was giving her. In the end, they met halfway in the middle when it came to their two opinions on how full to make them.

Meanwhile, Karin was watching and taking some mental notes. There were some things she learned that she could apply to her own makeup.

When they were finished, Kasumi looked like a different girl. Her face seemed to be thinner and sharper. Those thin lips that Karin struggled with turned into full lips that didn’t seem overdrawn in any way. Dark eyeshadow made her eyes pop out from her pale skin.

Karin would say that she was gorgeous, but still preferred Usako’s solo work. She knew the reason why. The earlier makeup suited Kasumi much better. 

She was starting to regret her decision to make Kasumi seem sexy. Still, she made a choice. She had to go through with it. And Kasumi would never let Karin back out after showing her this new look.

Besides, when Karin saw how happy Kasumi was, how could she refuse?

While Karin got back to thinking of things to teach, Kasumi admired herself in the mirror. 

“You look beautiful,” Hitomi said, as if she could read Kasumi’s mind. “I’m guessing you’re satisfied?” Kasumi nodded over and over again, and Usako giggled at the sight.

“‘Good job’ hug?” Usako asked as she wrapped her arms around Hitomi from behind. She whispered something else, which Kasumi could not hear. “Maybe even a kiss?”

“Not at work.” Kasumi looked back at the two of them, and Hitomi cleared her throat. Thinking that Kasumi had found them out, Hitomi said, “This is our little secret, okay?”

After hearing that, Kasumi figured it all out. Usako and Hitomi were more than just professional partners. Which was strange considering that argument they just had. 

If it was Yu and her, they’d never get into fights. It would be a lot of cuddling and head pats and kisses. 

Looking forward to that future, Kasumi thought about showing off this look to Yu when she was ready to confess.

Shizuku would be the first to see her like this, though. Kasumi took a selfie with her normal smile and sent it.

“You look amazing, Kasumi-san,” Shizuku’s text read. Then another came. “Are you learning how to be sexy for your duet with Karin-san?”

“Something like that,” Kasumi texted back. They started talking about dinner plans and sharing the fact that they wouldn’t get to hang out as often. “Instead I’m spending time with stupid Karin-senpai.”

“You could treat it as a chance to learn how to woo Yu-san in other ways.” Shizuku guessed at Kasumi’s plan without any hints.

“Woo.” It was an old English word that roughly meant “try to gain a person’s love.” Shizuku was still using that English word to describe Kasumi’s pursuit of Yu. Apparently she had looked up old romance plays and took a liking to that word she discovered.

It was a very accurate word, Kasumi thought.

As Kasumi was texting, Karin asked Hitomi, “Is 2-D open today?”

“It should be open until seven.” Karin nodded and thanked her, then walked over to Kasumi who was still texting.

“C’mon. We have more to do tonight.” Kasumi thought of protesting for a little, but didn’t after realizing they could accomplish so much more than making her _look_ sexy. Kasumi thanked Usako and Hitomi again before following Karin out of the room.

They walked to a door next to a placard that said “2-D.” Karin glanced through the window of the door and saw no one there. They walked inside.

“What is this place?” Kasumi asked, looking around the room. There were chairs that lined one wall of the room. On the opposite end was a giant mirror. 

“Some of the models who work here also sing and dance. Including yours truly. So we have a little practice room.”

As for the name, “2-D” was just the room number that came with the space. But since it hadn’t been changed like the rest of the rooms, Karin was sure there was some kind of wordplay behind it.

“The mirror will be helpful for what we’re going to do,” Karin said. She directed Kasumi to the one side of the room, then went to the other side. “Now walk to me.” 

Confused, Kasumi followed Karin’s directions. Karin had seen people walk on runways before. They knew exactly how to show off both their body and the clothes they were wearing with a simple walk.

Compared to runway models, Kasumi looked as stiff as a wooden plank.

As flat as one, too, Karin thought while suppressing her laughter. Kasumi caught the grin on her face though.

“W-What is it?” Kasumi asked as she came to a halt next to Karin, who was still trying not to laugh at her own joke.

“Are you made of wood? Metal?” As flat as a metal sheet, too. Karin told herself to stop.

“I’m made of one-hundred-percent cuteness!” Kasumi did her signature pout which rarely failed at getting the response she wanted. Most of those rare times were with Karin, though.

“And you want to be sexy.”

“Right…” Kasumi scratched her head. “But what does a walk have to do with being sexy?”

“It’s just an exercise.” Karin thought of how to explain her reasoning, then continued, “Looking sexy isn’t just about what you’re wearing or how you look. It’s all about showing off what you have.”

“Oh, so if I can be sexy just through a walk, then I’ve actually become sexy!” There was a bit of difference in the verbiage that Karin would use, but she thought Kasumi got the gist of the idea.

“Sure. Anyway, you don’t… have much to-”

Before Karin could finish, Kasumi interrupted, “I have more than enough!” Kasumi covered her chest with her arms, drawing Karin’s gaze. Because she was hugging herself, her small chest seemed to stand out a little more.

“I guess you do have enough,” Karin said without thinking.

“Pervert.” Karin pulled her eyes away after hearing that and ignored the warmth on her face. “What? Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for my sexy charms already?”

“Not a chance in hell. Anyway, let’s try again.”

Karin directed Kasumi this time, showing Kasumi how to sway her hips a little with each step. Kasumi made some small improvements, but it was still far from perfect.

After giving Kasumi the final goal of impressing her with a walk, Karin decided to give Kasumi some pointers on the pose she had tried back in the clubroom. That was one of the simplest poses to work on, so it would be useful in easing Kasumi into the sexy role.

Kasumi flinched at the first couple of touches, but she let Karin direct her using her hands. As per usual, Karin noticed a lot of the smaller details, like the angle of Kasumi’s lean towards her and where exactly to place her index finger. Since the pose was so simple, there wasn’t much to improve on. Kasumi eventually nailed it.

“Now say something,” Karin said after Kasumi got into the pose.

“U-Uh… d-did you dress up just for me, Karin-senpai?” Karin looked down at her school uniform.

“Dress up?” Karin smiled at Kasumi’s nonsense.

“I can’t just come up with something on the spot! My pranks require complex planning. You wouldn’t understand.”

“Complex planning, huh?” Karin closed the distance between them and got into the same pose as Kasumi. She leaned in and asked, “Did you pretty yourself up just for me, Kasumi-chan?”

Kasumi felt heat rush to her cheeks, and her breath hitched. Even without the same amount of makeup Kasumi was wearing or any fancy clothes, Karin was still sexy. It was infuriating to Kasumi, but it was also the truth.

Seeing that she got the reaction she desired, Karin’s lips curled into a smile.

“Was that complex enough?” Karin asked. Kasumi scowled back.

“You said almost the same thing!” Karin explained that what she said made sense and that she was able to use her appeal in a sexy way, unlike Kasumi who was hesitant and unconfident.

“Seeming sexy also has to do with what kind of emotions you show to others,” Karin said.

“This is tougher than I thought.” Kasumi whipped out her phone and took down notes on the things she’d learned from this guidance session.

Karin recalled how she called herself a bad role model and started having doubts again.

“You really want to do this?” Karin asked for the last time. She didn’t anticipate that Kasumi’s answer would convince her.

“I want to get better at this kind of thing. Is that really a problem?” Kasumi didn’t look at Karin with any anger or annoyance or confusion. Written all over her face was pure determination.

Seeing that, Karin thought about Kasumi’s words. She wanted to better herself. 

Sure, Karin might not accept Kasumi’s reason. But who was she to stop someone from only wanting to become as good as she could at something? Wasn’t saying that someone was “perfect the way they were,” almost the same thing as saying, “You don’t need to try?”

Karin would hate it if someone said that to her. After all, she also had a competitive spirit. She knew how it was like to fail over and over again before things clicked. Seeing Kasumi standing there, full of resolve, Karin was reminded of herself.

After telling herself not to ask the same question again, Karin decided to give it her all when it came to teaching Kasumi.

Then, she heard Kasumi’s stomach growl. Kasumi’s flustered expression and desperate attempt at hiding her hunger were still quite cute.

_Well, we can do our best after dinner._

With that thought, Karin decided to stop their session there, knowing that she and Kasumi would have some more in the future.

As the two of them walked out of the agency together, Karin thought about Kasumi for just a little longer.

“Bettering yourself for someone else,” Karin thought, trying to boil down Kasumi’s actions down to a single, simple description. She thought it was pretty admirable.

Karin kept that thought in her head, even as they argued about where to eat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kasumi is slowly making progress! And so is Karin! How, you ask? Well, that's a secret~ 
> 
> Also, introducing the OCs, Hitomi and Usako. They were actually going to be written in another one of my dead fics in a diff fandom, but we won't talk about that one.
> 
> Anyway, I wanted to use OCs because I didn't think any cameos from the other groups would work... except maybe NicoUmi?? DiaMari????? Hmm, hmm...
> 
> Double anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Tune in next time for some more KasuKari~


End file.
